Car found buried in sand at Beachside

Tina Castanares discovered a buried car during a walk at low tide south of Beachside State Recreation Site. The vehicle was removed, but no identifying information was recovered. (Courtesy photo)

By: CHERI BRUBAKER Of the News-Times - Updated: 7 months ago

Posted Oct 31, 2019

WALDPORT — Tina Castanares was walking at low tide south of Beachside State Recreation Site on Oct. 27 when she discovered a buried car.

“We saw four half tires sticking up out of the sand,” said Castenares. “We thought it was worrisome.”

Castanares and her husband, Paul Woolery, were staying at a vacation home nearby.

Castanares called Oregon State Police (OSP) that evening, but by then the tide was coming in and the car was covered.

“The next day I could see it again at low tide in the afternoon,” said Castenares. She sent a photo of the car to OSP.

“My husband said maybe it’s been buried for a long time, who knows, but the state police said, ‘Oh, well, that’s different. We haven’t had any reports [of a missing vehicle].’”

“Basically, we got a request on Tuesday morning from OSP regarding the vehicle on the beach,” said Dylan Anderson, manager of the South Beach Management unit of Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. “They were interested in checking the contents of the vehicle.”

OPRD contracted with Road and Driveway Company out of Newport, said Anderson. A small excavator was used to remove the vehicle he said was “upwards of 20 years old.”

It didn’t come out in one piece, Anderson explained. “They took it out piece by piece, removing the vehicle from the beach.”

OSP Trooper Scott Severson responded to the scene at low tide on Tuesday, performing due diligence, looking for human remains. He spoke with Yachats Rural Fire Protection District Chief Frankie Petrick, who told him that many years ago people used to drive on the beach there.

The car is gone. The investigation is closed, but the mystery of the vehicle remains.